Real Madrid secured another three points against the Lions of the Basque Country, Athletic Club in the mid-week. With that, they add to their lead at the summit of LaLiga Standings with 36 points off 15 matches. As good as that sounds, Real Madrid played woefully last time out. There was no visible off-the-ball shape which is why they struggled defensively. Athletics’ finishing woes are what came to Los Blancos’ rescue.
Talking of the season, Real Madrid has been the dominant attacking side in LaLiga, they are outscoring tough oppositions narrowly and also putting up humiliating scorelines against easier opponents. As such, Real Madrid’s forwards deserve their due credit. Especially, the duo of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior who are coming up with the goods, match after match. The duo has shined so brightly that it has been one of the best partnerships in Europe this season easily.
The question area, however, has been the third player who joins these two in the attacking trident. With no permanent candidate yet, here are how the available right-wing options rank in my opinion as we quickly approach the New Year.
6. Marco Asensio (Honorary Mention)
Marco Asensio is battling quite many battles right now. He needs to perform not only to ensure a spot in the first XI but also there’s a contract extension on the cards with opinions divided on should or shouldn’t Real Madrid extent Marco Asensio’s stay. At such a tense time, Marco Asensio hasn’t been able to handle the pressure well.
He had a vintage outing against his boyhood club Mallorca, becoming the first Hat-trick hero of the season for Real Madrid. But, that was that. He scored another against Granada that makes him the third-highest goal-scorer in the squad after Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior. But, that doesn’t speak about how many chances he has missed or how many mistakes he commits on the ball.
He goes anonymous in most matches and is lethargic on the ball. His inability to track back or run at the defense with pace puts a lot of pressure on his wider partner, usually, Dani Carvajal and that isn’t ideal. Carvajal is a player prone to injuries as we saw from last season and the start of 2021-22. Overall, Marco Asensio who surprisingly is the starter in Rodrygo’s absence is, in my opinion, the least favorable option for Carlo Ancelotti.